I attended a NW District Convention in Portland several years ago when I was serving on the Board of Directors. The Convention Hotel was downtown. As you find in most downtown City hotels, the on-site parking was rather limited. If you returned to the hotel too late in the evening the on-site parking, which was gated was full, and you had to park out on the city streets.
I only had a problem one night when I arrived too late from a dinner outing. The parking garage was full. So, on that night I had to park my vehicle out on the street. That’s when I noticed a sign on the street which said “no parking between 8 am – 5 pm”.
The sign indicated certain hours you can park, but at a certain time you had to move your vehicle.
We could park there temporarily between certain hours, but between 8-5, it is understood that YOU CAN’T PARK HERE. If you were found parked during those hours, it was understood your vehicle would be “Towed Away”.
If the sign had not been there on the street – many would park their vehicle there all day long.
I began to think to myself; this is also true in our daily lives. We have a tendency to want to stay, or park, in the wrong place. Some may have even been parked in the wrong place so long that one’s spirituality has been towed away. Thus, the title of my message today is simply – “You Can’t Park Here.”
In our text we find the disciples of Jesus trying to camp out and park there on a mountain. Jesus had less than a week before pointedly revealed to his disciples that He was the Christ … He was the Messiah. And He immediately started to tell them what that meant…
• He would go to Jerusalem
• He would Suffer
• He would Die
With these words hanging in the air for the past 6 days, the very next thing the Gospel writers’ detail is the Transfiguration.
In those six days, we can only wonder what ran through those disciples’ minds. Was the truth about Jesus starting to sink in? Were they starting to realize and accept the fact that Jesus IS the suffering Messiah, and NOT a military king?
Or, were they perhaps becoming doubtful about him? What’s this crazy talk about death and resurrection, anyway?
And what did He mean by His comment “They will see him coming in His Kingdom?”
Every time I read this text it absolutely blows me away, and I can’t help but get that ‘WOW’ feeling.
There was a television show that aired on CBS from 1988-1998. The show stared Candice Bergen, and it was called – “MURPHY BROWN”.
In one particular episode, she asks the staff about their thoughts or feelings about God. There were different responses from different characters – one was an agnostic, one was a Baptist, and so on. But the response of the character Jim was a bit different.
He said he was a Protestant and went to church every Sunday with his wife. And this is how he phrased it … “I haven’t had any experiences of God. I go because it is obvious to me that the people who attend are experiencing God, and I am hoping that one day I will too.”
This was a TV character, obviously, but I wonder how many real-life “Jim’s” are in our churches waiting to “experience God”.
Our text for today certainly contains a remarkable experience of God. It is perhaps one of the most important, yet one of the least understood parts of the Gospel. To me it encapsulates the essence of Christ’s ministry on earth.
The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is perhaps presented as the point where human nature meets God.
It was the meeting place for the Temporal and the Eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point … acting as the bridge between Heaven and Earth
This particular day outlined in our text starts off ordinary enough. But it must be a critical event for us to understand since Matthew, Mark, and Luke all write about it in their Gospels.
Jesus and his three closest friends – Peter, James, and John – go up on a high mountain. Nothing unusual. Jesus often went off from the crowds to pray and rest. All very ordinary.
But from here on, the ordinary ends. No sooner do they arrive than Jesus is suddenly “TRANSFIGURED.”
Transfigure literally MEANS to change shape or form, and that is what happened here. Jesus changed in appearance before their very eyes
His face shone like the Sun. His clothes became as white as the Light. He essentially “glowed.” Mark wrote in Mark 9:3 “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”
Not even today’s CLOROX or OXI CLEAN could not get His clothes that white.
There is just something SPECIAL about a mountain top experience. Perhaps, you prayed about something, and God came through in a POWERFUL way.
Or, God seems to just bless you over and over again.
Or, God blesses you financially, when you did not even see it coming. Or, God heals you in spite of what the Doctors said.
So, here’s the thing, if you have ever had a Mountain Top Experience – you have a tendency to want to stay there … you don’t want to ever leave. You want to PARK right there, and stay in that experience.
It seems that on the mountain, we encounter Almighty God; while in the Valley, we often encounter Satan.
On the mountain, God’s calming VOICE is heard; while in the Valley, human arguments are often heard.
On the mountain, disciples are in a MOOD for Worship; while in the Valley, disciples may be spoiling for a fight.
On the mountain, the glory of God is Revealed; while in the Valley, the power of sin and unbelief is revealed.
But as we are about to find out … after experiencing blessings from the Lord – You Can’t Park Here … on the mountain top.
So, Jesus is TRANSFIGURED right in front of Peter, James, John.
And if that were NOT strange enough, the text goes on to say something else now happens. Jesus Transfiguration is certainly out-of-the ordinary, but now two of the OT’s most honored heroes suddenly appear by Jesus’ side.
MOSES – the great Law giver, and ELIJAH – the great prophet are brought together to pay respect to Jesus.
These two prophets stand out in the OT – Moses as the great lawgiver, Elijah for his ability to convince sinful Israel to repent and turn back to God
Moses who had now been dead for about 900 years, and Elijah who was translated to heaven about 1,500 years prior to this event.
They appear on the Mountain together, and begin talking with Jesus. In fact, the Prophet Malachi even foretold of this meeting in the closing verses of the Old Testament … some 450 years earlier.
And it was significant that these two men should appear on the Mountain, for they were vitally related to Jesus’ mission to this world, since Jesus came to fulfill the “Law And The Prophets.” Here is how Matthew put it…
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17
So, here is the Law Giver and Chief Prophet standing on the Mountain with Jesus, appearing as Jesus’ witnesses, substantiating – His Deity, His Mission, His Teachings, His Good Works, His Sacrifice, His Sufferings, His Death, His Resurrection, and His victory over death, Hell, and the Grave.
The important thing for you and I today is that every one of those things were prophesied by OT Prophets.
It has always fascinated me that the disciples of Jesus knew and were able to identify these two Great Prophets of the OT. The only way Peter could have known who they were was obviously through Divine Revelation by the Holy Spirit.
It is the Gospel writer Luke that gives us the only hint of the content of their conversation when he wrote in Luke 9:31, “They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”
What an experience this must have been for these three disciples to be included in this scene that was now unfolding on this Mountain.
But even at that, I think we can well understand how terrified Peter, James, and John would have been during this experience. But as we can imagine, a little terror never stopped Peter from speaking up.
For lack of anything else to say, he suggests erecting three shelters to commemorate the event.
Peter said to Jesus, “If you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Matthew 17:4
So, what is it Peter is actually saying here?
Well, at first it appeared that Peter was not sure what he was going to say. I’m sure I would have been at a loss for words, if I had experienced what Peter saw.
However, after a few moments, Peter seems to be saying, “this is great here, let’s never leave.”
Think about this … on that day on that mountain, these disciples had been given nothing less than a glimpse into the future.
They clearly saw past the suffering and death of Jesus, which He had predicted a few days before. They saw past their doubts and their fears.
For one brief shining moment God had cracked the door to the end of time, and they had seen how history would be worked out, not only their history, but the whole world’s history. And they would never be the same again.
No wonder Peter suggests, let’s CAMP OUT here and never leave. He simply says, “This is SO wonderful, let’s stay here.”
From Peter’s perspective, he could have been thinking, we won’t have to worry about paying taxes, paying our mortgage, going to work every day, and as a matter of fact, we won’t have to worry about going to Calvary.
Let’s Just Park Here.
But the only response to Peter’s comment appears to be an interruption by God. For about that time, a big cloud overshadows the mountain. The damp air closes in, and all the world slips away into a grayness.
Then, the voice of God echoes around them saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Just when the disciples make the decision to Park on the Mountain, God’s presence and voice tells them in essence – YOU CAN’T PARK HERE!
Kingdom work is not on the mountain top – but in the valley.
Kingdom work is not in the spiritual high of worship – but in the valley
Kingdom work is not within the four walls of this church – but in the valley
Most of the time it may be more COMFORTABLE to just stand still, but standing still is not God’s will. As Christians, we are called to live lives that are counter to the values of the world around us.
If we stand still, it will not be long until we are swept back. We either move forward or we move back. Standing still is not God’s will. Peter clearly wanted to stay on the mountain top, but God responded: You Can’t Park Here.
The same is true for you and me. We may want to stay on the mountain top of worship, but come Monday, you’ll be back out there in the world, struggling with day-to-day issues.
You’ll be dealing with all the pressures and problems and anxieties that seem to fill up our lives in this present world.
When tomorrow comes, I pray you will remember what you heard here today. I pray you will carry God’s Word with you, and put it to work in your daily life.
I know it is not easy. Our immediate problems and concerns have a way of crowding God’s Word out of our minds.
I pray you will find yourself agreeing with the Jerusalem apostles, who said, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20
That means we apply God’s Word to every part of our life … work, school, family life, and leisure time.
We Can’t Park Here … on the mountain – there is too much work to be done in the valley of our Community. We can’t stay on the Mountain. We must return to the marketplace of life. We must be like Christ; we must seek and save the lost.
As I close this morning, we are going to want to follow the instructions that came from the cloud on that mountain top so long ago … “This is my Son … listen to him!”
And keep on listening and learning from Him. As Peter proclaimed – it is GOOD for us to be here, but remember always – you can’t park here. Amen